Second by second 2000 years have trickled through the hourglass of time since Jesus Christ walked the shores of ancient Galilee. Shortly after the death and resurrection of Christ, a faith-filled Apostle wrote, “The light continues to shine in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it” (John 1:5). John, of course, meant that Christ had come as a light in a dark world, and with His coming, man had a new purpose in living, a new hope to brighten the day. Two thousand years later, it takes even greater faith to believe that darkness is really passing away.

Many believe that the darkness of moral and spiritual gloom that confronts the world today is greater than at any period in history. Man has in his grasp weapons more powerful than any the world has ever seen. There are enough hydrogen bombs stockpiled on both sides of the world to blow our entire world into chaos several times over.

How do you respond to the darkness around? Do you curse it and wish that it wasn’t there, or do you light a candle– even a small one–and drive back the darkness? Have you forgotten the words of Jesus Christ to those who follow Him? He said, “You are the light of the world…”

As we move through a dark world our purpose and function in life should be much the same as that of the lamplighter who proceeded through the streets, progressively lighting lamps. An observant little boy, watching the old lamplighter go from lamp stand to lamp stand, turned to his nurse and exclaimed, “Look! Look! There’s a man punching holes in the dark!” How can it be better said?

You can be like the man who was blind, but every day he shuffled to the same corner and sat begging; but as the sun began to sink in the western sky, he took out a lantern and struck a match, adjusting its flame as best he could. People wondered: “Why would a blind man carry a lantern? And why should he make a point to light it as the sun set? After all,” they reasoned, “was not darkness and light all the same to this man?” He even admitted that he could not tell the difference between light and darkness. Then why the lighted lantern?

“It’s simple,” he replied. “I light it so people won’t stumble over me.” Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…” A light in a world of darkness is the answer to the moral and spiritual chaos that confronts us today. Who knows? Your light may even keep someone from stumbling over you.

I thought a worthy finish to this post was to include the video below of Chris Rice singing “Go Light Your World”. Let’s run to the darkness and share our light, and make certain not to be a stumbling block to others!